Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Mac n' Cheese with a Facelift!


Mac n' Cheese with a Facelift!
(got this idea from a friend and will never go back to plain ol' Kraft!)

1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1-2 chicken breasts cooked as desired and cubed

Directions:
Make boxed mac n' cheese according to directions on box. After stirring in the milk, butter, and powdered cheese, stir in parmesan, mozzerella, and ranch dressing over low heat until cheeses are fully incorporated. Serve with chicken on top. So good!

Deee-licious Oven Fried Chicken!




2 1/2 lbs chicken parts (thighs and drumsticks)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp shortening

Mix flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Put chicken pieces into bag with mixture and shake to coat. Heat oil and shortening in a 9x13 inch pan in 425 degree oven until melted.

Place coated chicken in pan, cook uncovered for 30 minutes, then turn chicken over and cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and country gravy, and a side of sweet cornbread. Yum!

Meatloaf!


Meatloaf, Baby!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • garlic powder to taste
  • 6 slices white bread, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons yellow mustard, divided
  • 1/2 cup ketchup, divided
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix ground beef, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in bread, milk, egg, 2 tablespoons mustard and 1/4 cup ketchup.
  3. Press the meat mixture into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, stir together remaining mustard, ketchup and brown sugar; pour on top of the meat loaf.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 2 hours.

Chicken and Rice Casserole



I added the changes i would make to this recipe in ( )

2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 (14 ½-ounce) cans green beans (or frozen peas), drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos (not even sure what this is?)
1 (10 ¾-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup (or cream of chicken)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package
directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over
medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until
thoroughly combined.
3. Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

The Best BBQ Chicken EVER!






This is my favorite BBQ sauce:
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
2TBS vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
4 TBS lemon juice
1 cup ketchup
3 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. prepared mustard


Mix everything together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Use boneless chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces, or bone-in legs,thighs, etc. Baste the chicken with the sauce and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes (longer for bone in meat)
Always check before you eat to make sure its done inside. You can turn and baste the meat throughout baking. You can also cook on the BBQ, unless of course its covered with snow!

Veggie Lasagna


I love the veggie lasagna from Stouffer's but it is kind of expensive and makes a ton, we usually eat it for two or three days after. so here is a recipe that seems very similar, I will add some notes of ways to make it easier!

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 cloves garlic, minced(or go by a bag of mixed veggies from the freezer section)

Sauce:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper(or buy a can of your favorite alfredo)

1 (8 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
24 ounces ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided(this actually sounds like it might be an adequate amount of cheese! but hey, throw in some extra just for fun)

Directions:
These are for making your own sauce and cooking the fresh veggies, you can probably just use the frozen ones without cooking them first, also if you by sauce skip the sauce instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
(I have never boiled lasagna noodles prior to baking in my life. I realize some people do this but it seems silly when you can just add some extra water to the sauce and add the dry noodles. they cook up just fine in the oven this way! and it saves you a half hour of cooking time!) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot add broccoli, carrots, zucchini and garlic. Saute for 7 minutes; set aside.
Place flour in a medium saucepan and gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture. In a small bowl combine cottage and ricotta cheeses; stir well.

Spread about 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer noodles, ricotta mixture, vegetables, spinach mixture and 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ending with noodles. Top with reserved spinach mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving. (if you want to make it with dry noodles, build the lasagna like normal then pour about a 1-1 1/2 cups water over the entire thing! you can make this in the morning and leave it in the ridge till your ready to cook as well!)

Homemade Mac and Cheese


Homemade Mac and Cheese
Not only will your kids love it, but you will too!


Ok, so if you read the last recipes i submitted, you know i don't actually adhere to recipes very well. If this is really hard for you, im sure you can look one up online to find some proportions...sorry!


Ingredients:
Elbow Macaroni
Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Milk
Flour
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Boil the Macaroni till its just underdone- it finishes cooking when you bake it. I use a whole bag to make a 9x12 pan of mac n cheese.
Drain the noodles and spray with cold water (this stops the starches from sticking together). Spray a pan with cooking spray and make a layer of noodles on the bottom (about half the noodles)
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the noodles (a light dusting), salt and pepper, then cheese. (If you're me, you use lots of cheese!)
Then repeat the process, noodles, flour, salt pepper, cheese. Then you pour the milk over the whole thing. (You pour enough so you can start to see it through the noodles.)
Bake at 350 for 15 minute, then stir. It should start to thicken. Bake another 10-15 minutes till its crusty on top. yum. Don't eat it all at once. Share with the kids. If you want to get a little crazy you can use a combination of different cheeses....Parmesan, assiago, Gruyere, whatever strikes your fancy.

A-MAZING Cheddar Apple Soup!

Okay, this recipe sounds a little unusual, but trust me... it's incredible!! Chelsea and I recently served it at a big dinner party and it was a huge hit!





Cheddar Soup with Granny Smith Apples



3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
4 cups chicken broth
2 granny smith apples
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
Hot pepper sauce (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender and aromatic, 5-7 minutes.
2. Sprinkle flur and dry mustard over onion and stir to evenly coat. Continue cooking, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add broth, stirring until well blended.
4. Peel, quarter and core 1 of the apples and finely chop it. Add apple to the soup, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the soup is thickened and the apple is tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in cider and grated cheese and cook a few minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the cheese is fully melted.
6. Puree the soup in a blender. Stir in a few drops of hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Quarter and core the remaining apple and cut in 1/2-inch dice. Ladle the soupe into warmed bowls, sprinkle with diced apple and serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings. Serve with warm bread or rolls.

Meatloaf... Southwest Style!



1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt


Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix the ground beef, eggs, onion, bread crumbs, salsa, ketchup, barbeque sauce, salt, pepper, and celery salt together in a bowl; transfer to a loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, about 1 hour.

Grilled Chicken in Coconut sauce




4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted
cornstarch
pineapple tidbits
chicken baste
chicken broth
salt
pepper

Mix together a bit of chicken broth, salt, and pepper and bullion to make a paste. Baste chicken and grill until cooked through. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat coconut milk and sugar until boiling. Slowly add cornstarch 1 teaspoon at a time until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add toasted coconut to sauce. Remove from heat.
Spoon coconut sauce over chicken. Top with pineapple.

Serve with rice cooked in water, lime juice and sugar.

Rice:
2 cups minute rice
2 cups water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
Chelsea and I kind of made this recipe up last night. I made it for dinner for my family, and it was soooooo good!

Taquito Enchiladas




(kids love it!)



12-14 Chicken Taquitos

1 19-ounce can green or red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 2&1/4-ounce can sliced black olives, drained

Sour cream


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

2. Arrange taquitos in a shallow casserole dish in a single layer.

3. Cover with enchilada sauce.

4. Sprinkle with cheese and olives.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with sour cream. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken




4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons no-salt seasoning
2 lemons, thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine (substitute with cooking wine.)
1/2 pre-crushed garlic


1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.Trim any excess fat from chicken and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
3.Use pastry brush to brush both sides of chicken breasts with olive oil and season with no-salt seasoning. Set aside.
4.In a baking dish, lay 2-3 slices of lemon and a sprig of rosemary for each breast. Place chicken breasts smooth-side up on lemon and rosemary. Top each chicken breast with another sprig of rosemary and 2-3 slices of lemon.
5.Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through.
6.Remove chicken to a platter and tent with foil. Place half of the rosemary from the baking dish in a small saucepan and scrape in any browned bits. Add chicken broth, wine and garlic. Bring to a boil over meduim-high heat and cook until reduced by half. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
7.Serve chicken hot with sauce, garnished with a fresh slice of lemon and a rosemary sprig. Serves 4.

DINNER IN A PUMPKIN!




1 lg. pumpkin
1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
1 med. onion, chopped
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. cooked rice
Clean strings and seed from pumpkin. Brown burger and onions. Add soy sauce, sugar, mushrooms, and soup; simmer 10 minutes. Mix in rice, then put entire mixture into pumpkin. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (until pumpkin is soft enough to scoop some out with each serving).
*
*
*
*
....And a cute dessert too!



Ingredients:
1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
1 container prepared vanilla frosting
12 Nestle Crunch Fun-Size Candy Bars
white decorator icing
1 Nestle Butterfinger Crisp Candy Bar
1 pkg. Sweetarts Gummy Bugs

Directions:
Prepare cake mix according to package directions using one 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Cool completely in pan. Invert cake onto serving platter. Frost cake, using a little more frosting than usual on top ("tombstones" will be pushed into frosting). Write spooky words such as"BOO" on Crunch bars using tube icing. Press Crunch bars into cake to create "tombstones". Sprinkle chopped Butterfinger Crisp bar next to tombstones to create "dirt". Creatively place gummy bugs over top of cake! Super easy, and way cool.
~The fence is made out of sharpened popcicle sticks painted black.


Pistachio and White Bean Chili





4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
3/4 cup diced onions
1 1/2 cups chopped green chiles (fresh or canned)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tsp sugar
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 15-ounce can white/navy beans, drained
6 ounces shelled pistachios
Sour Cream
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions and chiles and saute for 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken, chicken stock, cumin, oregano, black pepper, white pepper, red pepper flakes, sugar and cilantro. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 mins.
3. Stir in beans and pistachios. Cook for 20 more minutes.
4. Top each serving with a scoop of sour cream and a cilantro sprig.
Makes 6 servings. Serve with cornbread, if desired.

Boneless Pork Chops with Apple Cream Sauce




4 boneless pork chops
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Sauce:
4 tbsp butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 16 slices each
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Prepare charcoal fire or gas grill
2. To prepare the sauce, melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saute pan over medium heat until the mixture starts to caramelize.
3. Add apples and turn frequently until the whole mixture is caramelized.
4. Stir in cream and cinnamon
5.Cover and remove from the heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Rub pork chops with olive oil. Sprinkle chops with salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes.
7. Grill chips over a medium-hot fire for 7 minutes per side, or until cooked to taste.
8. Serve the chops with cream sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Mini Meatloaves



1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.